New Years
by Starssnakesandspells
Summary: It all started at the Ministry's New Years party. A jinxed mistletoe. A long awaited kiss. Dramione love.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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"Well?! What did she say?" Draco spat a bit more sharply than intended. Potty head was, after all, doing him a favor.

Harry fiddled with his wand, tapping it against his thigh as he gazed out of one of the office windows. A fleeting thought of how, of course, Malfoy would get the office with the best view.  
"Potter!" Draco said Harry's name with quickly vanishing patience. Harry turned his head and met Draco's steely gaze, "What did she say?" He drug out the last word and spread his hands out to his sides in an almost desperate manner. Harry's brow pinched, realizing he'd never seen Malfoy this open with his emotions.  
Taking a deep breath, Harry said "You really should go talk to her."

Draco grit his teeth and spoke, "That's just it. She won't talk to me. That's why I asked you to talk to her for me."

Harry gave Draco an exasperated look and repeated himself. At his words, Draco rounded his mahogany office desk to stand closer to Harry. "Apparently, I didn't make myself clear. She will not speak to me. She won't even look at me. I can't get her to talk!"

Harry frowned, replying "I just reallllly think this is something you should hear from her. It's not my place to say. You need to ask her." Harry's voice rising in ire, then falling at the end of his sentence.

Draco pulled a hand down his face, took a deep breath and released it. "Potter... Please. I.. I'm not... I can't take this anymore." He looked at Harry, with an open, honest, slightly desperate expression. "Just tell me what she said. Please."

Harry, sensing Draco's growing desperation, let out an audible growl. He turned and kicked the desk. Sighing, Harry turned to face Draco once more. Harry leaned against the desk and stared at Draco, evaluating him.

"WHAT?!" Draco shouted, making Harry jump. Harry then rubbed at his eyes under his glasses again and sighed.

"I can't say, Malfoy. I won't. Just... Go talk to her. Maybe if you are a bit less hasty when you start talking she'll open up."

Draco took an ominous step towards Harry and Harry instinctively tightened his grip on his wand. Draco's ever present scowl deepened as he said with great enunciation "She. Will. Not. Talk. To. Me. She won't look at him. She walks the other way when she sees me coming. She won't let me touch her." Draco hadn't meant to speak the last sentence aloud, it slipped out almost like a confession he hadn't realized needed voicing and his voice faltered a bit at the end. Harry looked away from Draco a bit awkwardly at the end of his unlikely admission.

Draco reached out and grabbed Harry's cloak at the shoulder cuff and yanked Harry toward him, all the while hearing her sweet voice admonishing and reminding him gently "temper, love"...  
"_TELL_. Me." Draco hissed at Harry, his tone and demeanor only slightly less furious at the memory of her voice, her cool, soft hand on his...  
Harry grabbed the hand holding his shoulder and shoved it away spitting "She's pregnant, Malfoy!" Stepping a safe distance away from the nearly deranged man in front of him, Harry repeated himself "Hermione is pregnant. And she didn't want you to know".

Draco's pale face drained of what little color it had. "She... she can't be." He said, shaking his head and backing away from Harry in disbelief. Harry shrugged, "She said she is."

"Pregnant?" Draco looked at Harry, clearly in shock. Harry nodded once.  
Draco backed into a cushioned chair in front of his desk and fell into it, rather ungracefully for a Malfoy. Shock was still present on the young man's face. Harry watched Draco carefully as Draco breathed and processed the information he just learned.

"Is... is it mine?" The question was asked with a cringe and... hope?  
"Er, I think... well.. that is. I would... think so." Harry finally stuttered out. Not at all expecting to be asked about the parentage of Hermione's unborn child.

Draco stood quickly and asked again, "Well? Is it?"  
Harry stared at Draco, mouth gaping open and Draco fought the sudden urge to slam Potter's face into the bookshelf behind him.  
"I don't know, okay? I mean, I think it is. She didn't say it wasn't. So I would assume it is!" Harry's words were rushed and exasperated.  
Draco gave another scowl in Harry's direction and started towards the door with a determined look om his face, saying "Don't assume, Potter. We both know what happens when one assumes."

"Where are you going?" Harry asked quickly.

"To speak to Granger." Draco's reply was clipped and low.

"Uh. Wait. Uhh. I don't think that's a good idea" Harry spoke hesitantly and waited as Draco's hand stilled on the door handle and he slowly turned to face Harry. Harry was closer to Draco than Draco expected him to be as Harry had been walking closer to Draco while his back was turned.

"You don't think it's a good idea? Five minutes ago you were nearly pushing me out the door to go talk to her and now you suddenly 'don't think it's a good idea'?" Draco spat the words with all the venom he could muster. Harry cringed at Draco's tone and said as calmly as he could "Yes. I did do that moments ago. But now, I think it's best to leave her be. She may just need space, or something" Harry finished, rather lamely.

"What you aren't saying is, it may not be mine." Draco said coolly, looking only slightly unsettled.  
"Er, no. I mean. That's a possibility for anyone I suppose - but I mea-"

"It could be mine! That could be my baby." Draco said through clinched teeth with a pained expression Harry had never seen on Draco's before. "It could be... mine." Draco whispered and Harry realized the expression on the pale face was familiar to Harry, it was the expression of grief.  
Harry nodded to Draco and Draco nodded once in return and muttered "thanks" before leaving his office in search of Hermione.

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Chapter 1 is complete! Read and review, please! This is my first fanfiction ever. I'm terribly nervous. Thanks, all you lovely people ❤


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Draco rushed through the halls of the Ministry of Magic, growing more and more angry as he neared his destination. Hermione's office was on the opposite side of the Ministry from Draco's office. Which Draco supposed was probably a good thing, as he would get nothing done with her being any closer to him, it was hard enough already to keep to himself during working hours with them working in the same building. A flash of memory of their bodies wrapped around each other hit him with an assault of her sweet scent and softness as he walked and he shook the memory away, quickening his steps. It had been so long since he last touched her. Too damned long. His pace quickened to a jog.

Draco rushed past Hermione's assistant, despite her protest about her being in a meeting and ignored her rising from her chair to reach for his arm. Granger was going to give him some answers today. She owed him that much, at least.

Yanking open the door, Draco barged into Hermione's quaint office. His eyes landed on the man and woman sitting in front of Granger's office desk and said in a low and menacing voice "Get. Out." He didn't look at the young witch who rose from her chair with fury on her face. He ignored her pulling back her lips, hissing "How dare you!", slamming her hands on the top of her desk. When the couple sitting in front of the desk remained seated, staring at him quite stupidly, Draco opened the door behind him wider and roared "I said GET OUT!". The volume of voice shook the couple from their stupor and they hastened out of the office with quick apologies to Hermione and promises to reconnect again soon. Draco turned to the door and shut it behind them with more patience than he felt in effort not to break the door if he slammed it shut the way he wanted to. He began muttering silencing charms to give them privacy. All the while he heard his witch raging behind him, talking about the audacity of cretins like him and how he would regret entering her office by the time she was through with him. He let her rage. He kept his forehead pressed against the door and collected himself. He didn't want to rage at her, though he felt anger like no other in him. No. Not anger... hurt.

He turned to face her, letting every ounce of that hurt show on his face, and a healthy dose of caution. He didn't want to push her away. She had moved in front of her desk, to the middle of the room and continued her rant, though made no move for her wand or towards him. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and she was wearing the cream coloured blouse he liked. Her cheeks we deliciously flushed and Merlin, but he ached to hold her.

"Are you pregnant?" He spoke the words he couldn't quite bring himself to believe, breathing heavily he watched her face grow with horror and she began stammering in a shaky voice "I'm... Why... Why would you ask me such a silly question, what would make yo-"

"ARE. YOU. PREGNANT?" Draco repeated himself, taking a step towards her, bracing himself for her answer. The volume of his voice seemed to shock her and she backed into a short bookcase behind her. Looking away from him she whispered "yes." Her voice broke at the end of the word and her eyes began to water.

Her confirmation stilled Draco. He lost his breath. He walked towards a chair in front of her desk that turned too far to the left, getting displaced when the woman from earlier rushed out of it. He placed his hands on the back of the chair, steadying himself. "Is it mine? " He asked with hope and trepidation.  
Her worried face turned sharp as she answered his question with a question "How could you ask me that?! After-"

Draco quickly cut her off with a pointed look and said "We haven't had sex in at least six weeks. I haven't been allowed to touch you in a month. Don't you dare ask me how I could ask you that. It's simply logical."

Hermione looked slightly abashed and looked away from Draco and whispered "Yes. Of course it's yours. Don't be silly." Tears began streaming down her face, now.  
Draco took a deep breath and shook his head then hung it low, breathing in and out. Hermione placed a hand over her face and cried into it. Moving around the chair, Draco sat in it before his knees gave out on him completely.

"This is it then. This is what you've been keeping from me."

She nodded and he nodded as well. His heart thundered as the word kept repeating itself in his mind: Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant. Preg- He shook his head.  
"Why?" He asked simply, without much emotion.

Her shoulders began to shake with her crying and she said "I thought you would be angry. I didn't think you wanted children. I wasn't even sure I wanted any." She turned her face to him and he saw some of the changes there already, her eyes were shadowed with tiredness and she looked thinner, like she had lost weight recently. He wondered if she had been having morning sickness.

"Why, why would you think that? We've had a lot of hard talks, but never any about kids!"

"No... Never about children. There was plenty of other things to work through, you're right. But... you... you said as much once. That you didn't want kids that is." Hermione voice was hesitant and warbling and Draco had had enough of her sniveling when he was the one who had been kept in the dark here.

"What. In Merlin's name. Are you talking about?! When have I ever said I didn't want kids?! And stop that crying! What the hell are you crying about anyway?!"

Hermione took a deep breath and huffed at him with great annoyance. She thought about not answering but saw Draco was the most distressed he had been in years. Hermione wanted nothing to do with this conversation, though she figured it was about time she gave Draco a reason behind her sudden cold shoulder and avoidance over the last month.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her face until her nose went red. "Near the beginning of this year. It was right after we started seriously talking. We were leaving a restaurant and saw a young boy and his mother having a moment. The boy was acting rotten and throwing a huge fit while the mother tugged him away from Zonko's. Honestly, he looked a bit old to be throwing a fit like that but you frowned and said 'ugh. Children. Never do I want to create an offspring of myself.'" Hermione stared at Draco, waiting for his response. Draco stared back at the witch, expectantly.

"That's it?" He asked.

"Um, yes?" She replied.

Draco's eyebrows shot up. "You took that flippant comment I made and decided it'd be best not to tell me you're pregnant?!"

"I... well... you seemed quite certain you didn't want kids. You were absolutely disgusted!" Hermione became animated, moving her hands about to emphasize her point.

Draco stared at her with a disbelieving expression "Granger! I used to look at you with disgust! Now look at us!" He gestured between the two of them, indicating the nearly year long relationship they'd been in.

Hermione, brightest witch of her age, gaped at the wizard in front of her with a dumbfounded expression.  
"Of all the stupid, careless, horrid things I've said, you choose to believe THAT?!" Draco continued. He could hardly remember the little boy she referred to as though the incident held so much weight.

"We never talked about it, Draco! That was the last thing I heard about the subject of kids and didn't think we'd have to talk about it for a long time!"

Draco hung his head and groaned into his hands. He sighed and looked up at Hermione, watching her for a few moments before asking "How far gone are you?" His gazed lowered to her abdomen and though Hermione knew there was nothing there to see, she felt self conscious, anyway.

"About seven weeks." Hermione answered simply.

Seven weeks, Draco felt some air leave his body in sadness and shame. Seven weeks gone and was just now learning about the pregnancy. "How long have you known?"

"Nearly five weeks..." her voice trailed off at the end as she saw pain ripple across Draco's face and felt guilty to be the cause of his pain. She shouldn't have kept the news from him for so long. Should have given him the chance to respond instead of finding out like this.

"Seven weeks." Draco whispered. He resolved in himself that not another day would go by where his child. His. Child. Was unaware his father cared for him. He nodded his head solemnly.

"Did you know it took my parents four years to have me?" Draco voiced.

Hermione, startled by the change in subject, merely shook her head.

He nodded then said "Four years. Two miscarriages. One stillborn. Then me. The Malfoy's have always had difficulty conceiving and carrying a child." Draco rubbed his face more as shock registered on Hermione's face. She had no idea his family suffered so many losses.

"Surprised? Yeah. I could have had siblings. Imagine that." Draco added with a slight chuckle. "After they had me, they didn't try any more. My mother was always too afraid of losing another." Draco continued.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know she lost so many" Hermione hesitantly stated. She didn't want to say much, knowing this was one of those rare moments where Draco was opening up to her.

Draco shrugged and went on, "I grew up knowing I was expected to continue to Malfoy line. There was no option otherwise, it was a duty I was to carry out. Whether or not I cared for the witch I married" Hermione shuddered a bit at the sad thought of marrying and reproducing out of obligation. She bit her lip to keep from making a snark about purebloods and their outdated way of thinking.

"I... I was never given the option of considering whether or not I wanted to have children..." Draco paused here, unsure how to continue and Hermione let him have his silence.

She looked at him then, really looked at him, for the first time in weeks. He looked terrible. Or at least terrible by Malfoy standards. He was in need of a shave, although Hermione was starting to think she held some appreciation for Draco with a beard, his clothes were wrinkled, and his hair had grown past his ears, and hung there limp, slightly unkempt. Hermione felt another flash of guilt that she had caused him to be... well, she wasn't quite sure what he had been feeling these past few weeks, but he clearly hadn't been feeling his best. And she was the cause of that...

Hermione focused on Draco's words as he began to talk again, all the while keeping his gaze downcast, "After the war... I began to realize I was in charge of my future. I could make decisions, do things differently than others in my family would have done. And I decided I didn't want children. The fall of the Malfoy line would end with me." Hermione knew he blamed his ancestors for many things that were wrong in the wizarding world, and it seems this was his way of attempting to start making things right. Draco continued "Besides, I knew I was a rotten child and figured I'd do the world a favor by not reproducing a horrid little spawn like I was." At this Hermione gave a slight chuckle and Draco lifted his head in surprise at the noise, he stared at her a moment, realizing that was the first smile directed to him that he'd seen on her face in ages and he smirked at it.

Keeping his gaze on her lovely face, he said "but, that all changed with you." Hermione stilled as his words settled into her. Her mouth opened into a small "o" and she felt riveted to the floor by his eyes on her. "I remember that little twit. Screeching and carrying on. I vaguely remember saying what I did, but that was before we were very deep into... this..." he waved vaguely between them and Hermione frowned at him. "Relationship, you mean". He pursed his lips and shrugged at her preferred term. Hermione felt her ire grow and resisted throwing a book at his head.  
"Not long after we started.. this..." another vague hand gesture and another rise in Hermione's irritation "I began to wonder what it would be like to have children... children... with you. Picturing little blonde headed girls with curly hair and sharp wit. And boys with brown hair and healthy dose of ornery."

Draco looked at her and saw hope beginning to bloom on her face, she smiled at him slightly.  
"Little did I know I had spoiled that for myself before even knowing I had this chance. It took my parents four years to have me. Four years. And here you are, what? Nine months later? Pregnant."  
Draco thought back to the beginning of the year, that New Years party that had started all of this... the jinxed mistletoe that lead to a heated kiss... He shook his head again to clear his mind.

"You didn't spoil anything, Draco..." Hermione said softly.

"But, I have, haven't I? You weren't going to tell me... were you?" Draco's depth of despair grew when he realized Hermione had indeed intended on keeping the pregnancy from his knowledge, at least for the time being. Something dawned on him then, "You found out on that trip then, to Paris?"

Hermione gazed at him and nodded, staying silent. Draco nodded as well, confirming what he already knew. "You started acting funny after you came back. I just didn't know why."

"Draco, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. At first... I just... I didn't know if I wanted to tell you. Then I didn't know how to tell you, so I just... didn't" Hermione crossed her arms and adjusted herself against the bookshelf, looking uncomfortable.

Draco gave her a hard look, then asked "Is... everything alright then? With-" he gestured towards her abdomen, she supposed indicating the baby.

Hermione felt her face grow warm as she replied "Oh, um, yes. I went to see my OB. Er, a muggle doctor that is. And everything checks out. " She gave a hesitant smile and Draco decided he would address the issue of a "muggle doctor" later. He nodded, pleased everything was well. Then he stood, Hermione jumped a bit, but he walked towards her anyway. Draco neared Hermione with a thundering heart, wondering if he'd regret what he was about to do.

Hermione watched him cautiously but made no move to push him away as she had been over the last month, so he reached up with his hand to cup her face. His chilled heart warming a bit at being able to touch her, he placed his other hand on the opposite side of her face. Draco brought his own face closer to hers and when they were mere inches apart he asked in a low voice, "Can I kiss you?" Hermione's hazel eyes, the eyes he missed waking up to in the mornings, filled with tears as she nodded. So he kissed her, ever so gently. He let her lead, loathe to startle her and cause her to pull away again. He was sure, each time she had pulled away from him over the past month had damaged his broken soul in ways he couldn't acknowledge yet. She responded to his kiss eagerly and let it deepen, sinking into his touch. Rarely, was he so gentle with her, and she found it pleasing. Pulling away from her before either of them were ready, Draco touched their foreheads together and said "You're a ninny". Hermione let out a small giggle at his choice of insult.

Draco didn't smile back, but began speaking again "Granger... I... I want you." Hermione was in no mood for a midday romp and took a breath to say so when Draco continued "I want this. I want this baby. I... I want a life with you." Hermione stilled and she tried to make eye contact with him, but his gaze remained on her lips, so her gaze lowered to his lips as they started moving again; and Draco spoke the words ahe had only heard one other time, even then she was partly convinced she had imagined it. "I love you, Hermione."

Then she was crying again, "I-" but Hermione didn't have a chance to reply before Draco reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small wooden box. It was stained a deep brown and polished with care. Her breath caught in her throat and Hermione was worried she would start choking on her own saliva and ruin this moment. Hardly daring to believe what seemed like was about to occur, Hermione felt disembodied as she saw Draco sink to one knee, then reach for her hand. His eyes rose up to meet hers and she saw sadness and hope written on his handsome face. His eyes were dark and his mouth was set in a thin line, then he opened it, "I promise to take care of you and this baby, you'll want for nothing. Need nothing. I will love you, always, if you'll let me. Will you marry me, Hermione Granger?" With the question spoken he opened the small box and the more beautiful ring Hermione had ever laid eyes on rested in the small box. A round diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds rested on a simple gold band. It was perfect and she realized, hers.

Hermione's mouth opened and her heart was swelling and racing, so many thoughts, comparisons, pros and cons, analysis of the situation, the past few weeks, and the whole of their relationship, passing through her mind in an instant and before she could allow herself to leap with joy and shout 'yes' she closed her mouth and swallowed, then spoke "I.. I need time to think."

Draco felt his heart thud to a stop and felt something gutter inside him. He closed his eyes, hardly believing, yet somehow expecting this. He reminded himself quickly that she hadn't said 'no', just that she needed time to think. He could do that. He could give her time to think. He had waited on her before, he could wait again. He would wait again. Draco nodded slowly. He closed the box, Hermione felt a sting in her heart at the sounds of the box shutting and wondered if she was making a mistake.

Then Draco rose to his feet, keeping hold of one of hands. He gave it a small squeeze then leaned forward and kissed her temple. "Take all the time you need." He said into her ear. She nodded. "I'm going to go now. I'd like to buy you dinner, though." He pulled away from her and waited on her response.  
Hermione bit her lower lip and Draco cringed internally, she thought for a moment then said, "Um, okay. I should be finished here around six."

Draco nodded at her reply and said he would pick her up at 6:15.  
"Okay, but no Italian, it hasn't been sitting right." Hermione's face went a little green at the thought of Italian food and Draco gave her a small smirk. Then he crouched down until his face was level with her abdomen and he kissed her belly. Hermione's eyes grew wide as she beheld him there, shocked at his unexpected show of gentleness and acceptance of new of a baby on the way. His kiss lingered on her belly a moment and Hermione remained perfectly still when she heard him speak two small words that filled her heart, "Hi, baby." Then he rose up, kissed her nose, and walked out of her office without another word.

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Chapter 2 is complete! Read and review! Lather, rinse, repeat. Thank you, lovely people! I work the next two days so I won't be writing much. ❤


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Draco found an old, forgotten corridor to wander through. He leaned against the cool, hard, dark stone and found himself sliding to the ground. He placed his forearms on his knees and hung his head. Try though he might, Draco couldn't bring himself to even begin processing the past hour. Draco felt overwhelmed with emotion, the confusion he felt over by Hermione's shunning him the last few weeks, shock at finding out about her pregnancy, the fact that he would be a father soon... a father. His own father turned out to be a massive disappointment. Having supported Voldemort in his heinous acts until the very end then running away like a coward when he saw the tides of the war turning. Draco shook off the memory of his deceased father and instead thought back to the beginning of all of this.

The ministry is where it all started. Draco had taken an internship at the ministry after Hogwarts. He muddied through his last year, keeping his head down and for the most part, avoiding any unnecessary interactions, they were too exhausting. He had lost his father, the dark side had lost the war. Sometime before the war came to its end, Draco's active partaking in inflicting pain and misery upon muggles and their supporters stopped at the behest of his mother. He was pardoned of his war crimes, thanks to his attorney who stated Draco couldn't be held responsible for anything he had done during the war, as he was under duress. The attorney painted an alarmingly realistic picture of what it was like to have the Dark Lord, himself, residing in one's very own home, taking meals at one's family table and enjoying a game of "torture one of 'young Draco's' school's professors to death" after dinner, then witnessing a monstrous snake consume said dead professor on one's dining table. Draco was instead, was fined an alarming amount, even for a Malfoy, and ordered to return to finish his education, his assets were frozen for 3 years, and he was to stay in the country for 3 years with no traveling outside the country allowed, lastly, he was told to get a ministry job after Hogwarts; in an effort to "give back". Draco immediately agreed to the demands of the Wizangemot, realizing he got off easy. He finished his time at Hogwarts, and was a bit sad to say goodbye. Then started an internship under a dodgy fellow in the financial department of the ministry. Draco quickly realized he had a knack for crunching numbers and found new ways after ways to cut back on funds for one area of the wizarding world and reallocate the money to an area with greater need or to help rebuild after the war.

After working at the ministry for a couple years, and getting the dodgy boss of his fired for embezzlement and aiding a group trying to revive the finances of the remaining free Voldemort supporters, Draco's life had become decidedly quiet; and he liked it that way. He went to work each day, usually staying past working hours. He would then floo home, to his flat his noisy neighbors. He would bang on the walls a few times in a most undignified manner to get them to quiet down, shower, eat a meager meal sent home with him from his last visit to his mother's, then go to bed. His days were predictable, unexciting, and dull. With the exception of the occasional game of quidditch with Blaise Zabbini, Draco had little contact with others his own age. Every few months, Blaise would set him up on a date with some twiggy witch who would grate on Draco's nerves until he cut the dinner short, complaining of migraines and go home to his books and solace.

Things were quiet until she started working at the ministry, too. The Hermione Granger, one third of the legendary Golden Trio, finished her schooling at Hogwarts with flying colours, of course, then spent her time traveling. News came about a year or so after the war that she stayed in Australia with her parents, who she had apparently, Oblivated to keep safe during the war. Hermione returned to Britain and kept out of the public eye, avoiding the media and publicity. Draco heard of her return in passing, took in the information, then went about his day thinking nothing more of the Gryffindor girl. He heard she was hired at the ministry to do audits. Not the position he thought the ex-war heroine would find herself in, but he supposed it was honest work. Hermione worked at the ministry a solid two weeks before Draco ever laid eyes on her.

It was a Friday, early afternoon. Draco hated Fridays. He found them pointless. Couldn't understand why the workplace didn't move to four day work weeks with three day weekends. He dredged through Fridays like it was a chore. Draco heard a small knock at his office door, rubbed the fog of work from his eyes and said, "come in". He heard the door open, but didn't bother looking up. A loud 'thump' drew his attention to a stack of musty, old boxes sitting on his pristine desk. They were covered in spots of mildew and the odor from them began to permeate the air around him. Aghast, Draco pushed away from his desk a bit and raised his eyes to see who dared drop this disgusting load om his desk.

In front of him stood Hermione, her brunette curls pulled back into a sleek pony tail, some curls escaping, dancing around her face. She wore a cream coloured blouse with buttons down the front, the blouse was loose but hung from her body in a complimentary manner. The top of her navy skirt and flair of her waist, could just be seen over the his desk, and that skirt clung to hips Draco quickly decided were... quite glorious. She stared at him when he raised his eyes again, and he stared back.

"Hello, Malfoy." Her voice was a bit breathless, and cheeks a bit pink, Draco assumed she had carried the stinking boxes herself, instead of levitating them from the pit they came from.

'When had Granger become a looker?' He thought to himself, a small smirk growing on his slim face.

"Granger. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence, and the presence of these..." Draco trailed off here and gestured to the boxes on his desk.

Granger plopped down, rather un-gracefully, into a cushioned chair and sighed. "I brought these for your perusal. They're documents the ministry has been keeping about accounts at Gringotts. Some of the accounts have been 'closed' for years but the items in the vaults remain there. A slew of these witches and wizards have been dead for decades. So, I had the idea-"

"Wait. Wait. Wait," Draco cut her off with a raised hand, smirk growing at the thought of Granger having an idea, "You brought these mangy boxes to my office to give me more work?"

"Well, not exactly. Actually, yes, that's precisely what I am doing."

Draco remembered staring at her, incredulously, "Who gave you the authority to give me more work?" Draco demanded, quite irritated with the presumptuous bint in front of him.

"Mine. I lead the audits of the ministry. If something in the area comes up that needs closer inspection, I do what I can for the digging and if it's out of my scope of knowledge, it is my duty to find the appropriate person to do so." At 'out of my scope of knowledge' Draco barked another laugh and shook his head at his old schoolmate, shocked that she confessed that anything at all was out of her scope of knowledge. Hermione's still flushed face darkened when she realized Malfoy was going to be as difficult as she assumed he'd be about this idea of hers. She had hoped he would take on this project in stride, the re-allocating of funds, whether to family members of the deceased or putting the funds towards repairs would be a great help for the rebuilding that continued after the war.

Draco shook his head at Hermione and simply said "No." He watched a spark of fire ignite in her eyes and sat back for the ensuing rant about 'rebuilding... all having to do their part... hard work does not go unpaid... have the means and the brains' (was Granger actually paying him a compliment?). He watched her while she ranted and decided something else in that moment, he had always appreciated her never holding anything back during an argument, but he realized he quite liked the way she looked when she got all riled up.

They came to an agreement, albeit begrudgingly, Hermione agreed to look through the documents briefly to see which accounts would be worth looking into, then giving the accounts to Draco to further filter out. He would contact Gringotts and take a look inside the vaults if any information on the documents seemed to be lacking and begin the process of reaching family members or reallocating the funds to rebuilding efforts.

The consistent contact between the two enemies led them to a comfortable place where their snips and snarks turned into heated debate which led to contemplative conversations. Draco had always admired the brain Granger possessed and enjoyed picking it for her thoughts from time to time. He allowed himself to swallow his pride for the sake of conversation. It had been so long since he had decent, consistent conversations with anyone.

The months passed and try though he might, Draco began to realize he waited on Hermione's trips to his office, quite simply, he enjoyed her company. After much prodding and encouraging from his mother, Draco asked Hermione to lunch. The request startled Hermione and she declined the first time he requested, making up an excuse about 'loads of work...' and how she 'simply couldn't impose...'. By the third refusal Draco was rattled. He was annoyed she could say no to him so unbothered by how much it bothered him when she refused his offer to lunch. She always dismissed him with a huff of a laugh, wave of her hand, and a shake of her head. As though he were being silly.

After a particularly heated debate that left Hermione angry, hurt, and avoiding him, Draco was walking up to the ministry. An old hag was standing out front selling roses, in the dead of winter, just three days before Christmas. He slowed his walking, seeing her extend her delicate roses towards passersby and get ignored. Something about her patient expression, the deep red of the roses, the celebratory time of year, and Draco's unending loneliness, compelled him to approach the old witch and purchase a single rose. She smiled graciously at him, teeth cracked and yellowed with age, and though inwardly he cringed, he gave her a smile smile, and dropped the heavy bag of galleons he carried in his pant pocket, into the bent tin bucket at her feet. Draco held the rose in between his fingers and looked upon it. He supposed there was something... entrancing about the flower, the gentle curve of its bud and petals, the harshness of its thorns that pricked his fingers. He thought about snapping the thorns off but decided, they were fitting. Draco entered the ministry, walked to her office and finding no one inside, entered, placed the red rose on her desk, and left.

Hours later, Hermione entered his office with pink cheeks, a curious spark in her eyes and a faint smile on her full lips. When he asked her what made her smile, she only shook her head and said "oh nothing.. just.. just nothing..". He smiled at her, and said apologized about their last discussion. Her eyes snapped up to his and she gaped at him in surprise. She couldn't remember another time Malfoy had apologized to anyone, about anything. Being in a good mood, due to one anonymous rose left in her office, she nodded at him, saying "It's alright. " He nodded back, convinced that was the end of that. She never mentioned the rose.

The end of that workday found Draco and Hermione walking out of the ministry together. Draco saw the old hag sipping a warm drink, in front of a tea shop nearby. Hermione watched her as the old lady lifted her arm, the one with a bag full of roses on his, and waved at Draco. Draco nodded at the old woman, and continued on his way.

"The Ministry's New Years party is coming up, you going?"

A bit dazed, as she looked back and forth between the old witch and Draco Hermione was slow to respond, "uhh. Er, um, I think so, yes. It's not really my kind of thing... but.. yes, I believe I am."

Draco nodded, tucking himself into the collar of his jacket, and asked "Will you be my plus one?"

Again she gaped at him. Maybe it was the cold, addling her mind, maybe it was Hermione deciding to finally put childish ideas of stereotypes away, or maybe it was because in that moment, it dawned on her who left the beautiful red rose on her desk, she wasn't sure. She was sure, however, that she suddenly had questions for Draco and wanted to spend some time with him.

"Yes. I will be your plus one."

New Years Eve arrived and Hermione spent more time getting ready for this party than she had for any other party in her life. She waited on Draco, at half past eight, to pick her up at her flat. He looked resplendent in his black suit, and silvery tie. They mingled at the party, joining each other then moving apart to chat with others. Draco couldn't take his eyes off of her though, she noticed. No matter where she moved during the gathering, his heated, stormy eyes followed her, causing her delightful shivers. He called her, "stunning" in her midnight blue gown that shimmered when she moved. It clung to her body, giving shape to her figure. Draco complimented her when he first laid eyes on her, but thought it best to keep his lusty thoughts to himself when she turned to check her appearance in a hallway mirror and he saw the dress was backless with a very low cut.

The evening progressed with good natured quips and sly looks between the two, drinks and dances. Eventually, Draco saw Hermione wander to the back of the ballroom, she exited the building to a set of gardens, seldom used. He followed her, unsure of what he was doing. It was close to midnight, he realized as he passed a clocktower. The cold winter's night air bit at his face as he followed Granger outside. He found her in the maze of a garden, leaning against a stone wall, shrubbery concealing most of her. He stood there a moment behind her and appreciated the view. Her back was defined and lovely in the moonlight, he wanted to run his hands over her smooth skin, then slip them around her waist under the fabric of her dress to touch her, he wanted to let his hands rise up and cup her full bre-. Draco shook his head to clear his mind, chalking up his racy thoughts to the champagne and whisky he had been drinking. Sidling up to her, he found a contemplative expression on her face, her chin in her hand, her gaze distant. She didn't look at him as he neared her, so he asked, "Aren't you cold?" Thinking, with her back bare and the fabric of her dress rather thin, she must be near to freezing in the current weather.

"Hmm. Oh.. No." Hermione huffed a laugh and looked a bit bashful under Draco's heavy stare. Her voluminous hair was pulled over one shoulder in soft waves and she tucked a lock of hair behind and ear, continuing, "I, uh, hah.. I planned to wear this.. erm.. outfit, knowing it'd likely be cold.. So I, um, placed a warming charm on myself."

"Ahh," Draco chuckled, "That explains so much. Clever." She nodded at him, then redirected her gaze outward, again.

"Why did you ask me to be your plus one tonight?" Granger asked him slowly.

Draco paused before answering and said "Likely, for the same reason you said 'yes'." At this presumptuous statement, Hermione turned her body towards him, one elbow leaning against the stone wall. "And, what reason might that be, Draco?"

He smirked at her attempt at playing ignorant. "I'm attracted to you, Granger. I believe I've made that clear. And, I believe you are attracted to me as well. I want to get to know you."

Hermione blushed deliciously at his declaration and looked away from him.

"Do you deny it, Granger?"

"Deny what, Draco?" Her voice steadier than she imagined it would be. Draco stepped ever closer to her and leaned in, whispering, "That you find me attractive." He felt, more than saw, her shiver at his words and warm breath on her neck. "I neither admit nor deny anything." Her words left her in a breathy tone that caused Draco to chance placing two fingertips on her bare back. He traced up and down her spine, relishing the feel of her skin against his fingers. She arched her back ever so slightly at his touch and released a sigh. Encouraged, Draco continued his ministrations and began to speak, but was interrupted by a sprinkle of snow on his head. He looked up, confused, the sky had been clear when he first came outside, he saw the beginnings of a bud of mistletoe, and felt surrounded by magic rooting him to the spot.

"Oh no." Hermione breathed. "Oh Luna!" She said in a frustrated tone.

"What the hell is that?" Draco asked, placing his whole hand on the small odd Granger's back, inwardly pleased when she didn't shy away from his touch.

"Ugh. A magical mistletoe, it would seem. I heard Luna was charming them to appar in random spots at random intervals."

"Christmas is over." Draco stated simply.

"Actually, Catholics celebrate Christmas until the sixth of January, believing it took that long for the three wisemen to find the baby Jesus." Draco rolled his eyes skyward, "Leave to you to know such a random fact about Catholics."

She hummed, agreeing with him, adding, "anyway, she said it was to encourage 'a friendly atmosphere' at the party. Whatever that's supposed to mean. " Hermione shook her head, gazing at the still growing mistletoe. "There's a magical ring around us now. We won't be able to leave, not until we..." Her mouth twisted and she frowned a bit, "Kiss?" Draco added helpfully.

"Yes, that." Hermione glanced at him briefly before looking toward the moon again. An unhurried air about her. Nonplussed, Draco asked, "And you find the thought of... kissing me...? What? Not interesting?" Draco felt himself growing tense as he waited for Granger's reply, "Not, not interesting, exactly. I just... haven't put much thought into it... at all, really."

Miffed, Draco pursed lips, looking away from Hermione. She turned to him, he felt her gaze on him as she asked, "And how do you find the idea? Of kissing me?"

Draco did not answer immediately, but turned to meet her gaze. He continued to turn until his body faced hers. Reaching up slowly, Draco placed a warm hand against her face, and stroked her bottom lip with his thumb. His eyes lowered to her ever pink lips and as he lowered his head to hers, he whispered in a husky voice, "Tantalizing."

Hermione opened her mouth slightly to take in a small breath when his lips met hers. They were warm and far more gentle than she ever imagined Malfoy could be. He moved the hand holding her face around her neck and into her hairline, putting a firm pressure on the back of her head as she lifted her face to deepen their kiss. Draco's other hand pressed against the small of Hermione's, pulling her towards him. It was at that moment, with her small body pressed to his, that Draco felt something... click. Some missing piece fell into place, some hidden button was pressed, some latch was opened, something in his very center ignited. There, in that moment, holding and kissing Granger, Draco knew, he wanted this forever. He wanted her, forever. Hermione's hands came up and caressed his face, her fingers moving softly against his five day stubble. Draco gave her bottom lip a slow suck and Hermione felt herself melt into him, releasing a small moan. In the background a small whistling noise could be heard, then a resonating _boom_ sounded as fireworks exploded in the distance. Hermione gasped, tensing, and clutched Draco's shoulders, he chuckled against her sweet lips, gave them one last kiss, then pulled away from her. She turned her head to look at the fireworks, sparkling in the midnight sky. Draco gave the fireworks a quick glance but decided watching the colours and lights dance across her face and a smile bloom from the lips he just kissed was a far more enjoyable sight than the light display to his side. Feeling his gaze remain on her face, Hermione looked up at him and her large smile softened into a shy one, as she said, "Happy New Year, Draco."

Draco gave a small smirk, "Happy New Year." He tucked a loose curl behind her ear then pulled her into another kiss. Draco had felt the trapping magic of the mistletoe melting away when their lips first touched, but neither made an effort to leave their little spot for quite some time. Choosing, instead, to remain wrapped up in one another, as the skies lit up again and again with sparks, and fire, and all the tellings of new beginnings. Draco couldn't remember a time he felt so.. content, and complete as this. And was pleased with the start of this new year.

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Your reviews keep me going❤❤❤ I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Please leave constructive comments on my writing and/or grammar. Love you people ❤


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